Better Together
by lalaleska
Summary: Neither of them could pinpoint this at that moment in time, but this was young love in the making. [#10 posted] [Drabbles/one-shots for Akuroku month] [Ratings from K to M] [AU; Akuroku]
1. Chapter 1: From the Clouds

**a/n: Hi! Welcome to my first 'fic on my new account (old account can be found in my bio). Here's some Akuroku drabbles and one-shots, one a day leading up to Akuroku Day 2019. **

**I've loved the dynamic between these two for a long, long time; I hope that these stories give you some of that spark. **

**These are all based on songs from my library, and they're all AU. I don't intend on them sharing the same world from chapter to chapter. **

**Enjoy, and please feel free to review! **

Jack Johnson—From the Clouds

_We could watch it from the clouds; we can't stop it, anyhow._

"Jesus, you're going to town on that thing."

Without wasting a second, Roxas flipped Axel off while still managing to focus on his ice cream. He gave one good last lick, bottom to top, almost too slowly—too suggestively—then looked back at the red head next to him.

"I haven't had one in a while. Plus it's so damn hot out. It's hitting the spot right now." He went back to focusing on his frozen treat. Axel's eyes lingered a little longer than they should have.

May had hit with a vengeance, treating their university campus to explosive heat after its record-hitting winter. Axel thought of plenty of things he would have liked to have shared with Roxas during that time, namely plenty of close cuddles and burrito-blanket naps with the fiery blonde, but if he had learned anything in the past 10 months—_Jesus Christ, has it really been 10 months?_—it was that Roxas was hard to get.

Axel had known from the first day he spotted Roxas in his Creative Writing class that the shorter blonde was for him. And maybe that was his hormones talking, all buzz and no substance, but luckily for Axel they'd been teamed up as writing partners. Their time spent together critiquing their work sparked something different in Axel. Because sure, he'd thought guys and girls were hot before, and sure, he'd landed a couple in bed, some that even spread out into a few dates. He thought this attraction to Roxas would be some more of that.

But he hadn't counted on Roxas flat-out _rejecting_ his advances. No, Axel wasn't used to that at all. He had always gotten everything he had set out for.

And life threw him another loop when he found himself turning to mush every time Roxas chewed on the end of his pen thoughtfully as he read Axel's work, or the way he laughed hard and loud at Axel's advances and then went on with his business as if nothing had happened. He had turned into a veritable slave for Roxas's deep cerulean eyes, the snarky sarcasm that Axel could have sworn was flirting, the way he could bring Axel down from the clouds with one word.

For a little bit, Axel just liked the challenge and puzzle that was Roxas, trying to figure out which things he could say or do that might get Roxas to reciprocate his advances. He'd thought his chances were shot when the semester was over and their days of sharing classes had come to an end.

But a week after Axel shared his spring course load with Roxas, the blonde came into their class and mentioned that he'd joined Axel's spring Geology 101 class. He'd been casual, but Axel nearly had a meltdown thinking about everything this could mean, and shortly after that, he'd nearly had a meltdown because _holy shit he had a goddamn crush on this guy and he was falling harder every day_.

And so Axel was falling, but Roxas remained impartial as ever. Even when Axel's advances became less sex driven and more romantic, Roxas was careful never to give up how he was feeling or give in to the sweet gestures the red head had begun to show. It may have driven anyone else off, but Axel's love of a challenge had turned into something more sincere over time.

Here they were, at the end of their school year, sharing ice cream on this hellish hot day. They were perched on a low stone wall near the campus food hall watching people scurry around, attempting to cram a semester's worth of studying into a few days. Axel lifted one leg onto the wall, leaning onto his knee as he swung his other leg.

"Can't believe this year is almost over. It still feels like yesterday I was struggling to put two words together in Garrity's class…"

"Yeah, good thing you had me to fix your stories." Axel flicked the laughing blonde at the comment. "Axel, what the hell were you doing in Creative Writing, anyway? You're a criminology major. And there are plenty of other English courses you could have taken for your general requirements…"

Axel shrugged, continuing to enjoy his ice cream. "Demyx made this stupid bet at the end of last year—I barely remember what it was about now. But I lost and my 'punishment' was to take a class I would suck at."

"Hm. I'm glad you're a loser, then." Axel was used to the blonde's quips, but he still sent him a glare as Roxas took the last bite of ice cream off the stick.

"What's that supposed to mean? Rude," he replied, a mocking pout on his face.

Roxas took a moment and started to chew on the bare popsicle stick thoughtfully.

"Well, if you weren't a loser, you wouldn't have been in Garrity's class. So we never would have met."

"Yeah, yeah, and you wouldn't have me to crack jokes at all day long, I get it."

"I mean, yeah," Roxas replied, finally turning his head to look at Axel. The stare was more intense than he was used to, and Axel found a blush creeping up on his face. He was so intent on keeping his composure that he'd barely noticed the blonde's hand creeping over the concrete to take a light hold of his own hand.

"That's not the only thing, though." Roxas didn't break his gaze with Axel for anything. There was a soft smile on Roxas's face—almost a smirk, as if to tease Axel for the many months that he'd ignored Axel's clear affections. But he didn't say anything else; he merely winked and focused his attention elsewhere, keeping their hands linked.

Sure, Axel wanted answers. But he'd waited this long, and he was willing to wait a little longer.


	2. Chapter 2: After the Last Midtown Show

**a/n: Hello! Here is day 2 leading up to Akuroku day. Please feel free to review and let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to see, either in this series or in a future series. **

**On that note, I do have a full-length story in mind with these two goobers, which I hope to start writing in earnest after I'm done with this series. Hope you'll stick around to read that! And if you're a fan of Digimon and/or Taito, you're in luck, cause I have some of that on the horizon, as well!**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 2: After the Last Midtown Show—The Academy Is…

_We were part of something ours and ours alone; anywhere was home._

"Light me?"

Axel lifted his lighter to the blonde's cigarette. The tiny flame illuminated Roxas's face, casting a warm glow and exaggerating the shadows. Once lit, he took a long drag, resting his head back against the concrete wall. Axel took to flicking the lighter on and off.

They stayed like that, quiet for a few minutes. Axel took the time to study the shorter teen. He'd been known for being a sarcastic hard-ass and a punk; he wouldn't let that image go any time soon.

But he'd be lying if he said he didn't have a soft spot for Roxas.

Despite his innocent looks, Roxas sat on the ground smoking like he'd been doing it for decades, letting his head rest against the wall, eyes closed lazily, taking deep, content breaths between drags. One hand dangled his cigarette, while the other twirled blonde locks by his ear mindlessly. His mouth was turned up in the smallest of smirks.

Axel let a small smile cross his face while he peered around the corner, making sure they were still alone. It had become a habit of theirs to walk to old man Eraqus's corner store after school, grab sodas and chips, and sneak behind the building to snack and smoke.

"Just realized I never asked if you wanted one." Axel turned back toward Roxas, whose eyes were now half-lidded, looking up at the redhead. He shook his head.

"Nah. Not today." Roxas merely nodded.

When he was done, he snuffed out the smoldering stick and flicked it to the side. Automatically, Axel reached down to grab his hand and help him up.

"We going back to—"

The blonde's sentence was cut off by Axel pressing him back up against the wall, and before he could react, Axel had kissed him, firm but slow. He let his hands linger near Roxas's hips, letting his fingers graze the skin there in ghost touches. Roxas responded by placing his hands on both of Axel's cheeks, thumbing against his sharp jawline. They could both feel the other smiling against each other.

Axel pulled back first. He'd found the hem of the blonde's shirt and was rubbing lazy circles onto his skin, causing Roxas to shiver.

"As I was saying," Roxas started again, "Are you coming back to my place? It's a late night for both of my parents…" Roxas had let his hands wander to the collar of Axel's leather jacket.

Smirking, Axel lowered his head to find and lightly nibble on Roxas's earlobe, whispering.

"Let's roll."

* * *

Sunlight filtered through the blinds into Roxas's room. Both he and Axel had been curled up in his sheets. They were a tangle of limbs; looking down, neither could tell where one started and the other ended. Roxas found his head nested on Axel's shoulder, fingers twirling the redhead's fiery strands lazily. Axel nuzzled his nose into Roxas's head, taking in his scent—_that damn jasmine shampoo, it'll drive me senseless_—and planting ghost-kisses along the way.

Neither of them could pinpoint when things had become this way. They were connected at their very cores, together at all times possible. If they had been reincarnated, as Axel believed, they would have been together in every life prior to this one. People made comments all the time about how they were too different for each other—despite their contentedness, they were, after all, still in high school. People had pinned Axel as the bad boy too cool for anything or anyone, and Roxas was an A+ student with rumors following him that top-tier colleges had already started to scout him in his junior year.

It simply didn't matter to them.

Because at the end of the day, Roxas and Axel knew each other. They had divulged each of their hopes and dreams, their fears, each and every part of themselves that they _could_ share. Sure, they had reveled in each other physically, and people were quick to pick up on that and spread it like it was slander.

Neither of them could pinpoint this at that moment in time, but this was young love in the making.

"Rox, babe…" Axel muttered into his hair.

"Mmph," he received as a reply. Axel chuckled.

"When are your parents home? I don't need to get another earful from Cloud about me being in your bed…" Roxas reddened at the memory and quickly shut it away. He turned his head to peek at the clock behind Axel.

"6:30…they shouldn't be getting in until around 8. You're saved this time."

"Mm, so you mean I can do some more of this?" Axel smirked and leaned down, bringing his lips to Roxas's, and the blonde replied in earnest. Axel slid his tongue against the blonde's mouth, requesting access, which he was eagerly granted. They lay there, caught up in each other, when—

"Roxas, kid, we're home!"

Roxas nearly flew off of Axel and onto the floor.

Axel could barely contain his laughter, which was muffled when Roxas flew back up onto the bed and shoved his hand over his mouth. With one-handed skill, Roxas grabbed his sheets and comforter and let them land over the pair. When he saw that Axel's wild locks were still peeking out from the top of the comforter, he hastily grabbed his hair and twisted it into a bun with the tie on Axel's wrist, complaining,

"Why do you have to have this big-ass hair that's so hard to hide?"

Axel, for his part, hadn't stopped grinning, though his laughs had become silent. Roxas chided him, praying that his parents wouldn't walk into his bedroom.

Then, a knock at the door.

"Son? You in there?"

Roxas poked his head from under the covers and, in a panic, yelled, "Y-yeah, dad! Just finishing up a paper for class tomorrow. I'm almost done, just need a few more minutes to stay in the zone and finish!"

There were a few moments of silence from the other side of the door, and Roxas prayed his father would just leave and let him "finish."

"Alright, Roxas. Come on down when you're done, we brought home some dinner." Cloud's footsteps started retreating, and Roxas could breathe. He was about to kick Axel out when he felt himself being dragged back down under the covers, where Axel picked back up on the kisses he had started before he had been interrupted.

"Axel—you—need to—_leave_—please—" Roxas tried pleading between kisses, though he couldn't deny he was being pulled in again. Axel pulled back after one final tender kiss, then placed his lips on the other's nose playfully.

"See you tomorrow?" Axel asked, voice low. The bass in this low octave made Roxas shiver. Roxas leaned up for another chaste kiss.

"Yeah. Get home safe."


	3. Chapter 3: Our Last Summer

**a/n: Welcome to day 3! This one is a little longer and a little sadder, but with a hopeful ending, promise. **

**Please remember to read and review!**

Our Last Summer – ABBA

_But underneath, we had a fear of flying, of growing old, a fear of slowly dying_

From the minute Roxas had woken up, he found things to keep him occupied.

It helped that it was a workday. He'd found solace in going straight into the bathroom for a shower, where he turned on the radio and blasted it high. He'd left himself little time to think, and so he hardly had a few minutes to get dressed, grab his breakfast, and jet out the door to get to the studio.

Things had seemed to be on his side that morning, as the roads were clear and he'd barely had to worry about traffic. He busied himself almost as soon as he'd made it into the building, working on a few albums that had been on his plate.

He'd been productive as hell, cranking out work at the speed of light. He'd found it unusually easy to work on the tracks laid out in front of him for the day, tweaking guitar here, raising volume on bass there. He supposed he'd been a top-tier producer for a reason. Even only after working in the business three years, he'd managed to produce hit album after hit album.

When he had finished the work waiting for him, he'd looked up expecting it to be past his lunch hour.

It was only 11 AM.

Groaning, he'd slammed his head on his desk. Picking it back up, he glanced down, where, smack dab in the middle of the desk calendar, it read the day's date, September 23.

_9/23. What an ugly fucking number, all odd numbers and awkward and lanky._ He took a pen and listlessly started scratching out the box for the day, placing lines across it, then x's, then scribbling furiously over the date. As if that would cancel out any memory of the date itself.

Frustrated, he'd thrown the pen down and tried to find something to keep him busy, but he'd already cleared out his emails, and nothing seemed to be pressing.

"Great," he muttered to himself, leaning back and taking his palms to his eyes. _Maybe if I rub hard enough, I'll pass out…_

Alas, that hadn't worked. Unable to keep himself away from the looming thoughts in his mind, he grabbed his sweater and left, yelling to the secretary that he'd be back in a bit.

* * *

Roxas really didn't want to handle his thoughts today.

It was enough that his love life had taken a sudden halt. If he had someone to hold onto at the end of the day, maybe this wouldn't have been so hard. He could have chalked up old feelings to nostalgia and moved past the demons lurking beneath the surface. But here he was, freshly heartbroken (_again_) and left with the knowledge that it had been an entire year since Axel had left him.

He supposed that wasn't a fair assessment; Axel had made it clear there had never been anything serious between them, so it hardly counted as a breakup. But Roxas was apparently far more invested than the redhead was.

As the producer of Axel's band's album, Roxas never thought to begin with that he'd get involved with the bass player. Things had been business as usual, even when Axel started staying late with him at the studio, having a heavy hand in the artistic direction of his band's album.

But Roxas would be dumb not to think that Axel wasn't _hot_—nearly everyone who came across him did, with his perfectly gelled fire-red hair, his clear-cut emerald green eyes, and that tiny bit of eyeliner that he put on…

And so they'd gotten involved.

The time they hadn't spent in the studio they'd spent fucking each other senseless. It was all so hot and heavy and _fast_, faster than anything Roxas had been used to up until that point in his life. It didn't take long for Axel to have Roxas absolutely wrapped around his fingers, and Roxas didn't mind one bit.

And then Axel asked Roxas to vacation with him in Europe over the summer, and something shifted. Where things had been mainly physical before, this trip sparked something between them that was unexpected. They'd spent a month roaming the cities and countryside alike, holding hands near the river Seine, trying to escape tourists and fans alike by staying in quiet out-of-the-way hotels. Roxas swore he felt the change when, one day, they'd gotten caught in the rain, seemingly the only ones who didn't know rain was in the forecast. While everyone around them huddled under umbrellas, they'd embraced it, gabbed each other's hands, and spun around until they were soaked.

Up until that point, the two had never approached the topic of what they had been. Roxas would have been perfectly happy with being able to call Axel his boyfriend, but the redhead never wanted to discuss it. Roxas would be like a lost puppy when he'd left to go on tour—he rarely got texts from Axel when they were away, and he hadn't wanted to seem desperate—but the bassist always managed to reel him back in when he was in town, spending days in his apartment, ordering food and exchanging kisses and memorizing each part of his body.

But Europe was different. For the first time, Roxas could see Axel relaxing without the band at his back or his manager breathing down his neck. They'd both agreed to keep work out of their time off, and Axel had kept his end of the bargain even when he received relentless phone calls. They'd shared sweeter kisses than they'd ever had between them.

Roxas had been so sure that this was the change that they needed to elevate their relationship.

But they'd come back from their trip, and Axel had been more aloof than ever. He'd stopped spending time in the studio, leaving Roxas to work on the album alone. The texts and calls became infrequent. He'd been lucky to catch Axel at all if he came into the studio with his entourage, and even then, it became clear that he didn't want to be alone with the producer.

Roxas worked up the courage to confront him about it, but Axel only responded with anger. He'd called him needy. Said he needed to find someone else to latch on to. That they were fuck buddies, and that was it. Roxas could barely do anything but try to force the tears to stay in. He'd felt stupid more than anything. He could have tried to reason with Axel, tried to mention that their time together that summer was everything that fuck buddies weren't, but he'd been silent. He'd just let Axel leave. And soon after, the album was done, and he hadn't seen the redhead since.

_Maybe I'm still being an idiot, even after all this time_, he thought to himself as he meandered toward his favorite deli for lunch. After all, he'd been the one to remember the date that Axel had berated him, which almost proved that he was being as clingy as Axel told him he was.

But even after all this time, Roxas knew there was something different between them. Despite the hit to his confidence, Roxas remembered the fleeting sweet moments even before they'd gone away last summer, and the tenderness they'd shared throughout their trip. At the risk of imposter syndrome, he tried to remind himself that it all seemed real. Part of him still thought it was.

He'd reached the deli and ordered his usual lunch. He threw in an oversized cookie for good measure, grabbed everything, and headed for a table in the corner. He'd been unwrapping his sandwich and focused on the talk show playing above him when he felt someone standing behind him.

"Stacey said I'd probably find you here."

Roxas froze, his heart sinking into his stomach. _Why today of all days…_

Attempting to keep his composure, Roxas shrugged and poked at his sandwich. After waiting a beat for a response and not getting one, the redhead moved to Roxas's line of vision, waving his hands in front of him. The blonde slowly lifted his eyes to find the last person he'd wanted to see.

"Can I, uh, sit?"

* * *

"Are you, like, ever gonna say anything to me?"

Axel had been seated in front of Roxas for seven minutes—he'd counted—and the blonde, in that time, had done a decent job of ignoring him and taking bites out of his wrap to make it look like he was doing something other than freaking out. When Roxas didn't respond again, Axel rolled his eyes and let his palm fall hard on the table.

"Roxas, look, I know we didn't leave things great the last time we saw each other. I was just hoping that we…could talk."

"Did you forget what you said to me? Or is it only convenient to remember things when you need them?" He'd been quiet, but there was a resolute confidence in Roxas's voice.

He'd taken a massive blow from Axel's ego. He wouldn't let himself get drawn in again.

Axel sighed, covering his face with both hands, rubbing his eyes. When he was silent for a few moments, Roxas shook his head and threw the rest of his lunch into a bag.

"I don't have time for this. I'm not hungry anymore, and I need to get back to work." Before he could get up and storm out, Axel shot a hand up to grab his wrist. When Roxas looked back down, Axel was looking back up at him…pleadingly?

"Would you at least let me walk with you back to the studio?"

It was the quietest voice Roxas had ever heard him use. He was so used to the blind bravado Axel had put on constantly. This…was different.

"Fine," Roxas replied shortly, taking his arm back gently and heading for the door.

They strode together in silence for a few blocks, Roxas with his hands shoved in his pockets and his face pensive, Axel following a pace behind, a million thoughts crossing through his mind.

"Roxas—"

"_What_, Axel? What do you want from me?" The blonde had stopped and turned around, forcing Axel to stop short up against him. Roxas was tired of the mind games, tired of the countless ways he'd thought in his head about how things might have gone differently if he were less needy, if he were didn't care so much, if Axel was more empathic, if _anything_ other than what had happened.

He gazed up into Axel's eyes, defiant. He was hoping that through his anger, Axel might also start to see how hurt he was.

He wasn't expecting to be met with regretful eyes looking back at him.

Their stare-down lasted a few moments before Axel sighed softly. The redhead grabbed Roxas by the wrist and pulled him to a bench in a small clearing that was made into a sitting area. Wary, Roxas followed, allowing himself to sit. Axel shoved his head in his hands as soon as he met the bench.

"_Mph if harph fer mm,_" the redhead stated.

"Axel, you're mumbling. I have no idea what you're trying to say…"

"This is hard for me, okay?" He replied quietly, removing his hands from his mouth. He wouldn't look Roxas in the eyes.

"Look. The band and I hit Oblivion Records today to talk about a new deal, get the new record straight, all that jazz. And I thought I didn't care. I was…trying not to care." Roxas sat back, quiet, ready to take in what Axel was saying, while the taller male fixed his focus on some nearby trees.

"But we got in, and when we asked Stacey if we could chat with you, she said 'oh, he's not here,' and I don't know, the way she said it, made it sound like you had left or something, and that's when it freaking hit me. Like a pour of concrete. Well, that's too slow, actually, more like a bag of bricks, but that felt cliché…"

"You're stalling."

Axel didn't reply to Roxas's observation, choosing to focus instead on what he would say next.

"I know the last time we talked…didn't end well. And I'm sorry, Rox." Axel lifted his apologetic emerald eyes to meet sapphire.

"When I thought you weren't at Oblivion anymore…my head got the worst of me. It was almost like _panic_. Like, as if part of me maybe wanted to talk about more than music. Part of me…wants to talk about more than music. And I know that seems lame, and that it's been over a year—"

"It's been a year today that you wrote me off." Axel fell quiet at the statement. A smirk played at the corner of his lips, even as his eyes gave away his fear at the situation.

"Still sentimental, eh?" It didn't come out in a way that Roxas felt Axel was being condescending; it almost sounded like he remembered that part of him fondly.

"Roxas…I know it's not an excuse for anything I did, but I want you to understand. I was…I am. Both. Just…terrified. I'm supposed to be this hot, sex-god rock star. I played that part perfectly well until we got involved. Hell, even after that. But Europe…"

"I meant it when I said that I fell in love with you in Europe," Roxas replied quietly. His focus was now on his fingers, twisted together in his lap.

"And that…that scared the _shit_ out of me. Because I…I fell in love, too."

Roxas wasn't sure what Axel wanted out of him in that moment. If he had been expecting him to start blushing and fall into his arms, he had another thing coming.

Sure enough, Axel was looking at him expectantly. Roxas caught him shrinking back into himself, crestfallen, from the corner of his eyes.

"Anyway, I just wanted to share that with you. Just to make amends. I know everything I did was wrong. And even after all this time, I've never been able to fully get over what happened last summer." Axel was finding a new energy in himself—he didn't want to lose the blonde's interest because of his past misdeeds. He found his confidence growing, and he grabbed the blonde's hands.

"Roxas. I know I fucked up. I get it. And I'm so, so sorry. But just…would you let me try to make it up to you?"

Roxas hesitated. One part of him—the overly romantic part—was screaming at him to kiss Axel and get on with it. But his logical side was going to win today. He'd already been damaged by Axel, and he wouldn't do it again without taking precautions.

"I don't know, Axel. You really hurt me."

Axel wasn't deterred. He let his thumbs glide over Roxas's soft, pale hands, caressing the skin there.

"Would you maybe let me take you on one date? Just one date. You don't even have to agree to more than that. And if it goes well, maybe we can go on a second. You know, build up to something, maybe."

Roxas caught Axel's eyes again. He knew that his own sapphire orbs were as open and honest as Axel's were in that moment. Just like Axel had divulged a few minutes ago, Roxas was terrified. He didn't know if he could put himself through the wringer again.

And yet…

"Okay."

"Wait, really?"

"Yes. But Axel…just know that I'm on my guard. Okay? And I'd really like to take it slowly. Especially since we're gonna be working together again."

"Yeah—yes—of course. Anything you want. It'll be strictly professional at work." Axel was grinning ear to ear, and Roxas couldn't help but smile back. He then focused back to their hands, where Axel was still gripping his own. Roxas slowly unfurled them and let one hand intertwine with one of Axel's.

When he looked back up at the redhead, it was as if they made a visual agreement to honor second chances.

Roxas pulled back seconds later, shoving his hands in his pockets, and beckoned Axel to get up.

"Let's get back. We can start talking about the sound you guys want for your second album."

Axel nodded, standing up and following Roxas back to the studio. Once they were outside, Roxas lingered a second.

"So when can I…take you out?" Axel took the moment to ask.

Roxas looked down at his feet, then back up at Axel. The redhead was wringing his beanie in his hands.

"I'm free Sunday. Maybe for brunch."

Roxas couldn't help but smile. Of course he'd have his guard up. But life was too short for not giving second chances. Axel grinned then grabbed for the door, holding it open.

"It's a date."


	4. Chapter 4: Baby, You're a Haunted House

**a/n: Bonjour! Or bonsoir, I guess. Here's day 4 for you :)**

**A note on the songs: I'm essentially using them as prompts. Some are more true to the lyrics, as in "After the Last Midtown Show," but for this one and possibly others, I took some themes that are figurative and made them more literal. **

**You don't need to know the songs to enjoy the one shots, but I think listening and reading together makes a special experience!**

**Enjoy! R & R, please!**

Baby, You're A Haunted House—Gerard Way

_In the dark, we laugh together, 'cause the misery's funny to you_

"This shit is fuckin' creepy, Rox."

Roxas rolled his eyes but couldn't help letting a chuckle escape. "The all-mighty Axel, scared of a little local haunted house?"

Axel looked the place over again. Sure, it was a local haunted house, something that some guy whipped up every Halloween on an old, decrepit property he owned. That didn't make it any less _creepy_.

Shutters hung off the half-paintless windows, dancing in the wind that night. Lights from the inside flickered on and off. A hidden stereo played what could only be described as "haunted house sounds"—creaky floorboards, doors on squeaky hinges opening and closing, the soft haunting call of a ghoul.

To top it all off, a thunderstorm was threatening to close in. The sky lit up periodically in the background.

Axel wanted out.

"I don't _fuckin' care_ about ego right now, this place is definitely haunted. And not just fake-haunted, _real haunted_."

Amused, Roxas turned toward a grumpy Axel. The redhead's arms were crossed in front of him, defiant, but his eyes were shifty, looking for any sign of trouble.

"Ax, I really didn't know you believed in this kinda stuff. You're really for real?" He couldn't keep the smirk off of his face. Axel threw a glare at him.

"_Yes_, okay? Now can we go?"

"We already paid."

"Well, get a refund."

"There was a big honkin' sign that said 'NO REFUNDS' at the ticket booth, Axel."

Axel cursed to himself, probably the product of having spent $20 he wouldn't be getting back that evening. Roxas waited, standing off to the side with his boyfriend, as Axel held an internal battle. Little kids gleefully pranced into and out of the attraction while they waited. The blonde could have sworn he saw some steam leave Axel's ears as he took in the scene.

"_Fine, let's go, but let's make it quick, no looking in places where shit is obviously cursed or opening doors that obviously have mummies behind them_." The tension in Axel's voice was palpable. Roxas suppressed a laugh and grabbed Axel's hand.

"C'mon, my little scaredy cat, let's go." Huffing, Axel obliged.

* * *

"This isn't so bad, I guess…"

"See? You're being a big baby for nothing."

So far, they had entered the main hall of the haunted house. The area was dimly lit by a large chandelier in the center. Some dollar-store cobwebs were hanging from doorways and between empty spaces. The lights flickered every so often.

"Alright, the guy at the booth said we could explore at our will. So…what do you think? Living room or dining room first?"

Axel flicked a little fake spider off the center stairway of the home and then shrugged. "Dining, I guess."

They both meandered to the right of the house, where they had spotted the dining room table on the way in. This room was similarly outfitted with lame effects. Axel kept his arms wrapped around himself while he and Roxas looked around.

"Tch," Axel started. He had his signature smirk back on his face. "They call this a haunted house? No wonder they don't wanna give refunds. They'd be broke."

Roxas had been on the other side of the room, looking into the china cabinet that was full of dusty porcelain wares. He noticed a door slightly ajar to the right.

"Wonder what's in here…" he said as he grabbed the handle.

"Roxas—"

That was when the lights went out and a scream cried from the other side of the house.

"_ROXAS WHAT DID I FUCKIN __**SAY**__ ABOUT OPENING RANDOM DOORS?"_

Roxas felt himself being pulled back, the result of Axel clinging to the shorter man.

"We're leaving, we have to leave now, that's it, no more."

"Axel, it's just part of the experience. Don't worry about it. Get your nails out of my skin, you're gonna leave dents…" Roxas pried the redhead's fingers off him and returned to examining the door. He pulled it open all the way for Axel to see.

"See? Just a dead door. Nothing but a wall behind it."

Axel peeked, then let out a sharp sigh.

"Come on, can we see the rest of the place already? I wanna get the fuck _out_ of here…"

But when the two turned toward the way they had come in, the French doors had been shut. Roxas went to try the handles, but they were locked.

"Hm. I didn't hear anyone close these…" Roxas merely studied the doors while Axel dealt with internal panic. He'd stuffed himself into a corner so he could see all areas of the room at all times.

"Roxas, come on, just open the door."

"It won't budge, and the knobs are stuck."

"Let me look at it."

But no sooner had Axel gone to check on the door himself did the boys hear the creaking of a door from within the same room. Both froze, straining to hear the sounds behind them.

"A-Axel…the only other door…"

"Is the dead door…" Axel responded.

Both turned their heads to look back. From their angle, they could see that the dead door was open, with blackness coming from behind it, and a single, blackened hand on the door knob.

When a heavy foot landed with a _thud_ on the dining room floor, Axel bolted for the doors to the entry area and slammed them open. He grabbed for Roxas's hand behind them, and they both took off running.

Neither of them stopped until they were at least 5 blocks from the place. They panted and fell onto the sidewalk, grabbing their sides from breathing too hard. When they took a moment to glance at each other, the horror receding and the adrenaline cooling down, they broke out laughing.

They found themselves rolling on the ground, howling with laughter, Roxas's hand on Axel's arm and Axel throwing his arms back. A few people passed them as they cackled, shooting them strange glances, but they were too wrapped up in the situation to care.

When they finally started to breathe again, they sat up. Axel slid his arm around Roxas, and he placed a kiss on his temple.

"Babe, we're _never_ going to a fucking haunted house again."

* * *

**a/n 8.5.19: Hello all! I realize that I said I'd post a one-shot or drabble a day, but these have caught up to me, and the one-shot I'm writing for today is a little longer and deserves a little more love and attention. I promise it'll be a good one though, a real heartbreaker. It's already tearing at my heart strings. To make up for the lost day, I'll post two chapters on 8.6! **


	5. Chapter 5: Banana Pancakes

**a/n: Hey y'all! I'm sorry for not posting yesterday, but the one-shot I was/am working on turned out to be a bigger project than I anticipated and I didn't get to finish. Please have this peace offering of a drabble, and I'll either get to post the longer one-shot later for a double day or I'll post another drabble (: **

**R & R, please!**

Banana Pancakes—Jack Johnson

_We could close the curtains, pretend like there's no world outside_

The _pitter-patter_ of rain on the windowsill woke Roxas slowly, then all at once.

The bedroom wasn't as bright as usual for this time of morning. The low-hanging clouds outside made the light filtering in a dull gray color. He fumbled on the nightstand for his cell phone, which read 7:34 AM.

Sighing, he leaned back, expecting to find the warmth of Axel, but the bed was bare.

_Tch. Early. Raining. No Axel. _It was enough to put Roxas in a slightly sour mood.

Knowing he had to get up to take care of some business, Roxas was in the middle of rolling over to get out of bed when the door opened and Axel swept in, two mugs in his hands. Roxas eyed him suspiciously; it was too early in the morning for Axel to be this chipper.

"Morning, blondie," Axel said, sitting down beside Roxas and handing him a mug. Roxas took a deep breath—hazelnut coffee, two sugars, with a hell of a lot of cream, just how he likes it—and smiled. He leaned forward to place a kiss on Axel's cheek.

"Morning to you. What's got you up so early?" Roxas asked as he took a tentative sip of his coffee.

Axel just shrugged, leaning back into the headboard. "Couldn't sleep. I know it's Saturday and all, but I figured at the very least I could take care of some breakfast."

Roxas blinked and regarded him suspiciously again. "Breakfast? This is just coffee."

"That's what you think. I'm gonna make the whole works. I just wanted to come in and see if you were up yet, first." Axel grinned, took a sip, and winked at his boyfriend. Roxas smiled but shook his head.

"Ax, can we just get bagels or something on the go today? I have a lot of stuff I wanna take care of…" Before he could finish, Axel pressed a finger to his lips.

"Seriously, Rox? You know you've been going like the freakin' Energizer bunny for days now, right? You need to relax a little."

"I don't have time to relax, I need to get a lot done for the café opening next week." Roxas had spent almost all his free time in the past 9 months preparing for the opening of his modest storefront, Twilight Café.

"And I get it, babe, but one day won't set you back."

"That's what you think."

Axel grabbed Roxas's cup, eliciting a frustrated groan from Roxas, and set both of the mugs on the side table before descending upon the blonde. He straddled him and quickly grabbed both of his wrists, holding them above his head.

"Axel! What the hell?"

"Now listen here, Roxy," Axel started, using the nickname Roxas loathed. He leaned down carefully, placing a series of butterfly kisses on Roxas's neck.

"You've been doing too much lately…it's time you took a break…and just relax for a minute. You're going to…stress yourself out so much…that you'll get sick," he said, interspersing his statements with kisses up Roxas's neck. He pulled back, pressing his nose to Roxas's. The blonde was scowling under him, but he had that soft look in his eyes.

"I don't know, Ax…"

"C'mon, Rox. It's raining, it's windy, it's chilly, it's Saturday. I don't have anything to do today, and you can do all of that tomorrow. Just stay here…with me. I'll make you your favorite, banana pancakes."

Roxas pondered for a moment. Axel took the opportunity to let go of his wrists, and Roxas brought one hand up to comb lazily through Axel's hair.

"Only on one condition."

"Anything, babe."

"Disney movie marathon."

Axel laughed and leaned down, bringing his lips to Roxas's. He swore he fell in love all over again every time they kissed.

"You got it. Wanna join me to make pancakes?" Axel jumped off and reached out his hand to help Roxas up. He pulled the shorter blonde into a hug and pressed a kiss into his hair.

"Hey, maybe we can even cook in the nude…" He mentioned as they walked out, earning him a swat on the arm.


	6. Chapter 6: Still Into You

**a/n: Hello! Day 7 for you all (: Short and sweet this time, since I'm still working on that monster of a one-shot for you all. **

**If you like what you're reading, please remember to favorite, or perhaps leave a review—I'd love to see what you're thinking. I'd even be down to see some requests for what I should do with our favorite boys in the future. **

Still Into You—Paramore

_I should be over all the butterflies, but I'm into you_

"I don't remember this drive being _this fucking boring…_"

Roxas looked over at Axel from his place in the passenger seat then back out the window to the empty wasteland before them. It was high noon on a bright, hot day, and they were somewhere in Kentucky. Or perhaps Missouri…

They'd been on the road for 13 hours, including one pit stop in Pennsylvania. Axel's mother had wanted them to visit for months, and the two finally agreed to go see her. They'd decided to make a vacation out of it; instead of flying from New York to Nebraska, they rented a car to make a road trip out of it.

They both may or may not have regretted this decision.

Roxas fumbled with the radio, using the tuner to find stations that were within their reach. Even one that had sounded like it might be a bigger station had mostly static pumping through the speakers. He sighed and grabbed the wire to plug his phone in.

"Play some Springsteen…"

"A Springsteen _mix_."

"Fine with me."

For the amount of adventure this vacation had been, it all felt so incredibly _normal_. Like he was supposed to be out here in the middle of nowhere with a slightly frustrated Axel.

It hadn't always been like this.

In fact, before Axel and Roxas had gotten together, their friendship had been somewhat tumultuous. They were always at each other's throats, throwing insults back and forth and ending up in arguments.

One drunken night made them realize that these feelings were, in fact, pent-up sexual tension. It turns out their friends had placed bets on when they would finally get together.

But this feeling of normalcy left Roxas a little worried. He didn't want their life to become _complacent_.

At that point, Axel reached his hand over the center console to grab onto Roxas's. He let his thumb rub gentle circles around the back of Roxas's hand—something he knew was comforting to him.

The butterflies were back, and Roxas smiled down at their hands.

He'd never get over being in love with Axel.


	7. Chapter 7: Endless Bummer

**a/n: Clocking in at 17 pages, **_**this**_** is the one-shot that has me a day behind on my prompts. I didn't think this story was in me, but once I started, I just couldn't stop. **

**I really hope y'all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Leave a review and a follow if you please. (: **

Endless Bummer—Weezer

_It's just like a curse, you see; this bummed out feeling that he's over me_

_August 20__th_

It was incredibly cliché, but the weather that afternoon had matched Roxas's mood to a tee.

He found himself perched on the balcony of the beach house rental his friends had rented for a month. The rain fell in heavy sheets, and the breeze was cooler than usual. He was wrapped up in an oversize hoodie on a cozy chair, lazily scrolling through his phone. Every so often, he'd glance up and through the rain.

From that height and perspective, on a clear day, they'd generally been able to see the whole of Destiny Island, with its beach bungalows, palm trees, and young adults going to and from the beach. Roxas knew it was only a summer destination for most people, but he truly thought maybe he'd be able to live here forever.

Today, he could only see the fog and grayness eating the island alive.

_May 1__st_

"No way! You were able to nab a house for an entire month?"

Roxas, Olette, and Pence had ganged up on Hayner after his announcement.

"Hell yeah I was! Well, I mean, the place belongs to my aunt's husband's cousin's son, but he said he was totally fine with us using it for a discounted rate." Hayner laced his fingers together behind his head and sat back against the cafeteria chair.

"How did we get here? Graduating in a month, going away for most of the summer, heading to college…When did _that_ all happen?" Olette's query had all of them pondering where their time had gone. They'd been together ever since 1st grade, after all, and while Roxas and Hayner were going to the same college, Olette and Pence would be at different universities across the country.

"Well, listen," Pence started. "Let's not cry about it. We still have plenty of time to have fun and get into trouble. When do we have the beach house?"

"Hmm…looks like July 21st through August 20th."

"Geez…one whole month on Destiny Islands, nothing to do but sit in the sun, soak up the ocean and chase all the babes…" Pence's last statement earned him a swat on the arm from Olette.

Roxas, for his part, spent a lot of that time thinking to himself.

He knew it would be the summer that changed his life. It was, after all, the first time he'd been away with friends without his or someone else's parents, and they were all 18. Anything could happen.

He was absolutely going to make it _his_ summer.

Roxas grinned and leaned back to match Hayner's relaxed position.

"You guys are right. Let's make this summer count."

"Maybe we'll even find Roxy a boyfriend," Olette crooned, grabbing the blonde's cheek. Roxas scowled and waved her off, trying to hide the blush on his cheeks.

"No! Well, maybe. I mean, I don't know!" Roxas threw his hands over his face as his friends laughed. He eventually joined in.

_July 21__st_

"Hayner, I thought we had a house."

The quad of friends was standing in front of their summer home for the next month. It was a large building called Sand Dollar Condos, made of pink stucco and encrusted with cheesy beach materials for theming.

"It _is_ a house, it's a condo, so it's just not, like, a _house_-house," Hayner replied. "It's up on the 8th floor."

"There better be an elevator, Hayner…" Pence warned, already dreading how high up they'd be.

"I was looking forward to having coffee in a cute little yard in the mornings…" Olette complained.

"Ugh, guys, come on! It's still the summer of us, right? There's still windows, and we're only 3 blocks from the beach, and they have a pool—"

"Oh, sweet, a pool? Alright, I'm good!" Olette nodded in agreement with Pence's newfound enthusiasm. The three then burst into the building, wanting to go check out the condo before bringing anything up. Roxas, however, was nothing if not logical, so he went back to the car to try to pull some of his belongings out.

When he opened the trunk, he found that many of their things had shifted during the drive and ferry ride over. He could just see his two bags covered with almost everything else and squished beneath some beach chairs. With a determined sigh, he started moving things around, making an attempt at getting his bags. He'd shuffle some things and start to pull, but no matter what he did, his bags wouldn't budge.

"Hey, you, uh, need some help there?"

"I'm fine, thanks, just trying to get these _bags out_," Roxas replied to the new voice. He'd started to get frustrated and just took to yanking to see if that would pry anything free.

"Whoa, whoa! You're gonna break everything in there. Here, let me hold some of this stuff up so you can pull the bags out…" Roxas hadn't looked at the stranger yet, but he saw a pair of toned, tanned arms reach in to hold up the items on top of his bags. Roxas had been too busy staring at the muscles to realize that he should stop pulling. Before he knew it, he landed on the ground behind him, bags on his chest.

"Ow…" Roxas checked his elbows for any cuts.

"You're tellin' me. Geez…"

It was then that Roxas realized that he wasn't on the ground at all, but was on top of the stranger who'd helped him with his bags.

Panicking, Roxas flew off the other man, turning and sitting on the ground in front of him to apologize.

"Oh god, I'm sorry, I didn't stop pulling, then the bags became free, and uh…"

Roxas had to stop right there, because this was hands-down the most gorgeous man he'd ever seen.

The other teen—he couldn't have been more than 19 years old—was still on the ground, blinking rapidly at Roxas. He already had sun-kissed skin. Sand clung desperately to his calves and feet. He'd been wearing a tank top and board shorts, both of which showed off his thin but defined muscles. He had the brightest shock of red hair Roxas had ever seen, which angled off in all directions, even when pulled back into its ponytail.

The redhead pulled his sunglasses from his eyes and placed them on top of his head, then stuck his hand out.

"No worries. It happens. I'm Axel, by the way."

"Oh, uh, R-Roxas…" The blonde managed to stutter.

He couldn't help but to feel like he was being evaluated by Axel, who looked him up and down as they shook hands. The redhead smirked when he finally let go.

"So, you here for a weekend or something?"

"For a month, actually. We're leaving August 20th."

"_Nice_. I'm here until the end of the summer myself. Got a pretty sweet pad up a block that way," Axel mentioned, pointing behind them. He then grabbed his backpack from behind him, digging through the pockets. He produced a pen, then motioned for Roxas's hand. Dumbly, Roxas obliged. He knew the look on his face must have been helpless.

Axel grabbed his wrist, and Roxas could have sworn he could melt right then and there. He'd dated a few guys here and there, but no amount of touching he ever did compared to the fire he felt when Axel touched him. The redhead started writing on his arm.

"There. Address, phone number. The number's for the house phone, unfortunately—I lost my cell last week and need to wait to get back to real life to get another one. Someone's always there and awake." He looked directly into Roxas's eyes. The blonde was surprised he wasn't floating away from how giddy he was feeling.

"I'm, uh, heading to the beach now. Looks like you and your pals are getting settled, so…maybe you'll give me a call later?"

Defying his liquefied brain, Roxas found his voice. "Yeah…I'll call later."

"Alright, Roxy. I'll catch you later, then." Axel flashed Roxas a smile and headed past him.

A few minutes later, his friends came back down to find a still stunned Roxas staring down the block where Axel had disappeared.

"Uh…you okay, buddy?" Hayner asked, placing a hand on Roxas's shoulder. He blinked then broke out grinning.

"Yeah! Super great. Let's get our stuff in; I wanna get to the beach as soon as possible…"

_July 26__th_

The atmosphere at Axel's family's beach home was buzzing. He had at least 10 people staying with him for two weeks while his family was back on the mainland, along with people he knew from the island.

He decided to throw a proper party that night, and after spending a few days spotting Roxas and his friends on the beach, flirting, and hanging around, Axel decided to invite them all.

And _Jesus Christ_, he was glad he did.

A few hours in found Olette, Pence, and Hayner hanging out with some of Axel's friends in their large living room. Drinks and blunts had everyone feeling great. They'd been playing beer pong in the center of the room. A tall, pink-haired man threw one last ball, sinking it into his opponent's last cup. The room erupted into cheers.

"Eat shit, Demyx. You owe me a pack of cigarettes," Marluxia crowed. Demyx shot him the middle finger while he downed his final cup.

"Where's Axel? Time for me to kick his ass at this once and for all." But as much as everyone had looked around the room and the kitchen next door, no one could figure out where Axel was.

Olette peeked around as well, curious.

"You know who else seems to be missing, guys…" She turned back to Pence and Hayner, raising her eyebrows.

Axel and Roxas were, in fact, hiding away from the party on a balcony off of Axel's bedroom off the second floor. Roxas had followed Axel, who went off to smoke a cigarette in private—never mind that he could have simply gone out into the yard to smoke. He had a hunch the blonde would follow, and this was much more private.

At a lull in their conversation, Roxas looked out over the railing, which faced the oceanfront. He caught the waves as they lapped up onto the shore and followed the eye line of the sea out until all he could see was darkness.

"Look at the way the moonlight hits the water…" he mused, letting his thought carry off into the night. Lithe, tan arms wrapped around him from behind, catching Roxas off guard. His heart soared as he let himself fall back a little into Axel's embrace.

"It's really something, eh?" Axel replied. He had put out his cigarette and moved to place his hands on the shorter blonde's hips. He leaned down then to whisper Roxas's to him, tongue teasingly caressing the edge of his ear as he spoke.

"I feel like I got a better view right here, though…"

Roxas turned himself in Axel's arms and looked up into emerald eyes. They were both a little drunk, but Roxas still had his faculties about him, and he couldn't deny the chemistry they had in the days they'd spent together on the beach so far. He reached his arms up to rest lazily around Axel's neck and tugged him down until their lips met.

It started off slow and sweet, both of them stopping to get to know the other before continuing. Roxas could hardly believe how the sarcastic, hardened redhead had such incredibly soft lips. Axel lifted his hands from Roxas's hips to his waist, letting his fingers sneak in under the fabric of his shirt. The blonde shivered, taking that opportunity to deepen the kiss.

He ran his tongue against Axel's lips, and the redhead happily obliged, parting his lips to let the blonde in. They explored each other tentatively, Roxas building the confidence to tighten his hold on Axel. The redhead splayed his fingers across Roxas's back, pressing each of his fingers into his tanned skin. Roxas couldn't suppress the moan from deep in his throat, which only emboldened Axel. Smiling against their kiss, Axel turned them around, taking a few steps to press Roxas up against the wall of the house.

Roxas already _called it_ that this was going to be his summer, but he never expected things to go so well so fast.

It'd only been a few minutes before they both came up for air, panting lightly. Axel pressed his cheek against Roxas's, and Roxas took the opportunity to place ghost kisses along Axel's jawline and neck. Axel used a single finger under Roxas's chin to guide his lips back up to his, lingering a few moments in a chaste kiss before breaking away again.

Roxas met Axel's eyes. Both sets were half lidded, and they each were taking deep breaths.

"I really fucking like you, Axel." Roxas hadn't intended for these words to come out that way, but he was tipsy and confident. Axel's eyes widened at his statement, and he was quiet a moment before he burst out laughing. Roxas shrunk into himself a moment, feeling a little embarrassed. In an instant, Axel had his arms around Roxas's waist and had gone quiet again.

"I think I really like you too, Roxy."

_July 29__th_

"All aboard!"

"Stop yelling, Axel, you're gonna wake up the whole damn island."

Axel had somehow convinced a few people to ride out on his family's boat at 6 AM. According to him, it was best to go out before the sun got too hot, but as Roxas noted, the entire boat was shaded, anyway.

The blonde rubbed his eyes and tried unsuccessfully to quell a yawn. Grinning, Axel elbowed him in the ribs.

"C'mon, sleepy head. If you're alert enough maybe I'll let you drive," he said, winking at Roxas. A furious blush crept up on his face at the suggestion as Axel laughed and moved to untie the ropes keeping the boat docked.

"Off we go!"

Roxas was glad he'd brought shades, because it meant he could stare at Axel steering the ship without getting caught. The redhead had already taken his shirt off and was sitting at the helm, grinning ear to ear and bringing them out into the sea. Not that Roxas _hadn't_ seen Axel shirtless before, but he appreciated it like it was a new experience each time. And he loved to watch the lines of muscles ripple on his chest and stomach, and he wondered what it looked like beneath the hemline of his shorts…

Finding himself blushing again, Roxas turned to look out at the sea.

Soon, they found themselves a mile off shore, where Axel stopped the boat and threw down the anchor. The boat itself was a catamaran, so they'd all gathered on the flat side of the ship to sun bathe and swim.

Roxas was perfectly content to lay out a towel and take a nap. He'd made himself a spot in the corner and had just gotten comfy when he felt a presence next to him. He opened one eye to find Axel's towel laid out next to him and Axel spraying sunscreen on his chest.

"Hey, Rox, mind getting my back?"

Trying to suppress another blush, Roxas nodded and took the can from him. Axel turned and Roxas got to work, spraying the lotion over his back and then working to rub it in. He was tentative at first, but soon found himself relaxing, letting his fingers slide over Axel's smooth, muscled back. He applied some pressure when he was almost done, giving Axel a tease of a back massage.

"Alright, I'm done." Axel turned back around and winked, then placed a quick kiss on Roxas's cheek.

"Thanks, babe."

Roxas smiled shyly and laid back down, getting comfortable again. He'd fully intended that he would get his nap in this morning.

Axel had gone off to swim with Demyx and Hayner, and Olette was chatting with another of Axel's friends, Kairi, on their towels. The sounds of his friends soothed him. Barely a week in, and Roxas had found a nice niche to sit in for the summer. Not only did his friends find another crew to hang out with, but Roxas was also in bliss to have found someone like Axel to spend time with. Though they'd barely known each other, they already had an intimate camaraderie. They had spent each day together so far, and since their first series of kisses at Axel's party, they'd been inseparable.

It panged him to think that their vacation would mean the end of all of that. Axel was going off to be a sophomore in West Virginia, and Roxas was headed to New York in the fall. It'd been way too soon to discuss any sort of logistics between them—they didn't even know each other's last names yet.

Roxas shut all thoughts of the future out of his mind. He wanted to enjoy what was here and now, and what was here and now was his nap.

That is, until Axel noticed that Roxas wasn't taking part in any action.

"Hey, Roxas! Come on, get in the water!"

"I'm napping, ass wipe! You got me out here way earlier than I ever needed to be!" Roxas kept his eyes shut, searching for that blissful moment when he'd fall asleep. It was quiet again after that, and Roxas began to relax.

Then again…it was a little _too_ quiet.

Roxas's eyes shot open the moment Axel had snuck up to him and grabbed him, easily throwing him over his shoulder. The shorter man struggled, but Axel's grip was tight. _Jesus, he has more muscle mass than I thought…_

"Axel, put me down!"

"Okay!"

"What? That's too ea—"

Before he knew it, Axel had tossed Roxas overboard, and the blonde landed in the water between a cackling Demyx and Hayner. While he was still finding his way to the surface, he felt the water displace next to him where Axel jumped in after. Once he had found his way up, he shot a glare at Axel, who was trying not to laugh.

"_Axel_."

Axel stopped, then, because there was genuine venom in Roxas's voice that he hadn't heard before.

"Oh shit, Ax, did I forget to tell you that Roxas's rage is relentless?" Hayner teased.

Axel shot a look at Hayner, who was still laughing, then looked back at Roxas, eyes softened and hands raised.

"Hey, Roxy, it was just a joke, y'know? Just wanted to get you—"

But it was too late. Roxas propelled himself out of the water and on to Axel, splashing him in the process. He locked his legs around the redhead's torso from behind and continued his assault, splashing Axel until he was begging for mercy.

Roxas laughed the whole time.

_August 3__rd_

"Light it up!"

Axel had been a little _too_ excited about the bonfire on the beach that night. Roxas could have sworn he was a bit of a pyromaniac. Demyx had two matches in his hand, which he lit and then threw into the mass of firewood they'd gathered. The tinder started up slowly, but before they knew it, the firewood was aglow.

The night had a bit of a chill to it; a telling sign that though they were in the hottest month, fall would be coming upon them any time. Roxas was perched on a blanket on the outskirts of the bonfire in a black long sleeve tee and shorts observing the crowd.

Axel had a quality about him that made everyone want to be his friend, and so all of his personal friends, along with most of the young adult crowd of Destiny Island, were at the bonfire. Roxas and his friends had already made friends with some of the people they'd been hanging around, and two of them, Sora and Riku, would be in New York in the fall, giving Roxas a one-up on the social scene. People were milling around, drinking, laughing, taking in the warmth and grace of the fire.

Roxas was barely paying attention to his surroundings. He startled when he felt motion behind him.

"Just me."

Roxas turned his head and smiled at the presence of Axel. He had two cups in his hand. He placed them down on the blanket next to Roxas, and then got down onto the ground. He scooted near Roxas so that the he was placed in between Axel's legs and Axel could hold him from behind. Roxas leaned back, letting Axel envelop him like a blanket.

"You doing okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. This is really great. You clearly know how to put a party together."

"Hell yeah I do."

They both laughed, and then they picked their cups up.

"A toast," Roxas started. He held his cup up next to Axel's.

"To what?"

"To summer. Bonfires. Anything else?" Roxas queried, waiting for Axel to chirp in. He was silent for a moment before adding his own toast.

"To unexpected surprises," Axel finally said, clinking his plastic cup against Roxas's.

"That's an oxymoron. Surprises are generally unexpected," Roxas teased.

"I don't know. Sometimes they're more unexpected than others. I hardly knew I was gonna meet you this summer, but here we are."

Roxas grinned and leaned his head back to place an awkward but sweet kiss on the bottom of Axel's chin.

"To unexpected surprises."

_August 14__th_

"Doesn't this rain know when to _stop_?"

It'd been raining for three days straight, effectively ending most summer activities that Roxas had come to the island to do. Having spent most of that time with his friends in their condo, he was getting cabin fever and decided to hang out with Axel for the afternoon.

"It's like that sometimes out here. Weather pattern is weird, or something like that…" Axel answered Roxas's complaint, laying back on his bed and throwing a rubber ball up into the air and catching it. Roxas watched from his seat on the edge of the corner of Axel's bed.

"It's not like my vacation is up in a few weeks or anything…"

"Relax, will you? You have a week left or something. You'll have plenty of time." Axel sat up, throwing the ball into the corner of his bedroom.

"So, what's it gonna be today, Rox? Movie marathon? We can order some pizza from Nanato's…sounds like a decent afternoon to me, honestly."

Roxas only smiled back, watching Axel deep in thought about which movie and what toppings he wanted. When Axel finally noticed, he shot the blonde a grin.

"What? Too sexy for you?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Something like that." He moved to get off the bed and go down to the family room, but he was stopped by Axel's hand wrapped around his wrist. Axel pulled him back onto the bed, getting Roxas onto his back and straddling him in one fell swoop. Axel laid on him, propping his head up with one arm, smug.

"Axel, how the _hell_ can someone as skinny as you be so heavy!? Get off!"

"I don't hear the magic words…" Axel smiled, smug, and leaned in to kiss Roxas before he could answer. Frustrated as he was, Roxas gave in.

That's when he _felt_ how Axel was feeling, and the air rushed from his head.

They hadn't quite breached this topic during the rapid development of…whatever _this_ was. They'd done plenty of making out, hanging out, and cuddling. Axel didn't try to take it further than that in the time since he'd been on the island.

_But still_…Roxas wondered. They'd both very clearly been attracted to each other from the start, even if they only had a few days left on the island with no plans for what was going to happen next. He'd thought about having sex with Axel multiple times, though he never wanted to be the one to breach the topic.

Axel broke the kiss to move in to work on Roxas's jugular, then moved his way up Roxas's chin. Dragging his tongue feather light against the shell of his ear, he whispered, husky:

"You're so fucking hot, Roxas. You have no idea."

Okay, so maybe this was happening.

Roxas moved his hand to bring Axel's face back toward him and kissed him hard. He had both hands strung into Axel's red locks, pulling the taller man closer. Axel, using one hand to prop himself up, let the other crawl under Roxas's shirt, massaging his hips. A chill swept through Roxas, and, feeling brave, he rolled his hips up into Axel's.

A deep groan fell from Axel's throat, and he pulled back. He searched Roxas's eyes carefully. Roxas, already buzzing from the momentary touch, bit his lip and nodded.

"Roxas…are you sure?"

The blonde continued to nod. "Yes," he said, breathless.

Axel entangled them in another earth-shattering kiss, then pulled away again to place kisses up Roxas's cheek.

"If you want to stop at any point, just let me know, okay? We'll stop." He moved back to the blonde's mouth, sliding a hand down Roxas's side. His fingers fumbled with the hem of his shorts before diving under. Lithe fingers pressed into the skin there. He continued to move his fingers further south, slowly, eliciting a chill from Roxas.

"I want you, Axel," the blonde whispered the minute Axel separated their lips. There was a softness in his green eyes as he used one hand to cradle Roxas's head. A teasing smirk crept onto his face.

"As you wish."

_August 17__th_

"Would you chill, Roxas? He's probably just busy. You know he doesn't have a phone on him."

Roxas had barely been able to enjoy the past few days. After he slept with Axel, things had been business as usual for about a day and a half, but then the redhead inexplicably disappeared. He wasn't at the beach or any of the usual haunts, and when he called, it was usually his cousin Reno picking up the phone and telling Roxas he wasn't home.

This smelled 100% like he was avoiding Roxas. It created a black hole in his stomach heavy enough to swallow him whole.

"Hayner, I know you're just trying to make me feel better, but the facts just aren't adding up." Roxas was curled up on the couch in their condo, trying to keep his focus on the television. There was some dumb kids' show on that was helping numb his brain.

"I know, but you never know. Maybe he had to go back to the mainland for a few days and didn't get a chance to say anything…"

"You don't think Reno would have said that?"

Hayner was quiet, then. He paused a moment and then continued.

"I'm sorry, Rox. But look, we only have a few days left. Come out to the beach with us."

Roxas shook his head, keeping his eyes peeled to the television. Hayner knew it was useless to try to get him up and out, so he got up to meet Olette and Pence in the hallway.

"Okay, Rox, but try not to think about it, yeah? We're gonna be at the beach. We'll be back in a few hours, but you know where to find us." With that, he closed the door and left Roxas alone.

It had been the hottest day of their summer by far. Hayner, Olette and Pence were almost dripping in sweat by the time they walked the 4 blocks to the beach. They were headed to the same spot they'd been in each time they'd visited the beach since they'd been there. Normally, Axel, his family, or his friends weren't far away, but none of them had seen any of the redhead's family in a few days.

Hayner looked up to survey the beach. It wasn't crowded yet, since it was still early and it was only going to get hotter. As his eyes scanned the beach, he made a discovery about half a mile away. He thought he might have been hallucinating, but a double check confirmed that Axel was down the beach, huddled under an umbrella and reading a book. He'd tried to tie his hair back so it wasn't noticeable, but he should have known that was fruitless.

"Hey, guys, I'm gonna take a quick walk. I'll meet you back here."

They nodded, setting up as Hayner walked away.

He approached Axel from the back so as not to alert him; as much as he hated to admit it, he thought if Axel saw him, he might try to leave. He knew Axel was avoiding Roxas; now he intended to figure out why.

He reached the back of Axel's chair and poked him on the shoulder. Axel turned around, souring when he saw who it was.

"Listen, Hayner, I'm busy—"

"Why have you been avoiding Roxas?"

Axel rolled his eyes and turned back around. Hayner walked around to the front, plopping himself on the towel that Axel had laid out under his umbrella. The redhead stared at him, incredulous, but Hayner held his ground.

"I need you to tell me what the fuck is going on, Axel. I know what happened. I know you're avoiding him."

Axel sunk his head into his hand, trying to think of what to say. Hayner wouldn't be moved until he had figured this out—for better or worse.

"It's just not gonna work out, Hayner."

"And why is that? We couldn't get you two off each other this whole time, and now all of a sudden you're throwing in the towel?"

"You don't understand."

"Like hell I don't!" Hayner had raised his voice, gaining the attention of the beach-goers around them. Axel pressed his lips into a thin line, looked around, then looked back down at Hayner.

"Listen, stop yelling, or I'll leave. I just can't do it. That's it. It's over."

"If you really felt that way, you'd tell Roxas yourself. You're a sarcastic ass, but you're not heartless. I've watched you two for almost four weeks now, Axel. It's moved really fast, sure, but you guys have obviously been making this work. I've seen the way you look at each other. So what's the problem?"

Axel had put his head back against his chair and closed his eyes. He didn't want to admit that Hayner was right.

"I don't want either of us to get hurt."

"That's a bullshit excuse and you know it, Axel. You know I can see through this tough-guy setup, right? You don't want to risk getting hurt, so you're leaving Roxas out to dry. Like he's not even human. Like he doesn't give a shit about you. You know he's miserable, right?" Hayner was up close to Axel now, anger pouring from his words. Suddenly, realization hit him.

"I get it. You don't want to see Roxas hurt, so you're doing this instead."

Axel didn't answer. He had set his eyes on the ocean. He looked as though his thoughts were a thousand miles away.

"Either way, this is selfish, Axel. And I'm not on board. But I'll give you a choice," Hayner started. Axel bit the inside of his lip and looked down. He couldn't look into the dirty blonde's eyes.

"I'm not gonna tell Roxas about this. You can make the decision. Either you let this go—the one good thing that Roxas has had in forever—or you come to your senses and go to him." Hayner got up and started to walk away. Before he got too far, he stopped and turned around.

"We're leaving at 4 on the 20th, Axel. Don't fuck it up."

_August 20__th_

"Bullshit that the rain couldn't even let us enjoy one last morning at the beach."

Roxas had come back inside from the balcony to hear Hayner complaining. They'd reached the end of their vacation, and while it was nice thinking of going home and preparing for their respective trips to university in the fall, it still somewhat felt like a little bit of magic was gone.

Olette and Pence were perched on the couch, snacking away and watching reruns of their favorite teen soap. Roxas had somewhat gotten out of his slump, but only barely. He'd at least made it to the beach and smiled a bit in the past few days.

Axel hadn't called or visited.

Roxas tried once, when he was fed up, to go to his house and demand to see him, but no one was home. That was about all the confidence he could muster; he didn't think he'd be able to go back again. Hayner had reassured him that if Axel wanted to see him, he would make the effort.

And a small part of him believed that he would make the effort.

"Guys, I know it's only 3:15, but with the weather and everything, do you wanna get on the road sooner? We'll miss all the rush hour traffic and everything," Hayner said. All of their belongings were gathered by the door; it was only a matter of getting everything out to the car.

"Why not. I wanna get back home to my kitty," Olette said, bouncing up from the couch.

The three friends started to fuss around the house, making sure that everything was in its proper place and that things were turned off.

Roxas…was stuck.

This was it.

They were leaving, and Axel was really going to leave it this way.

When everyone had come back and started loading up their arms and hands, Roxas merely watched, as if he would become invisible if he stayed still. Hayner turned to say something, but noticed the far-off look in Roxas's eyes. He put down some of his bags and made his way over to him.

"Hey, Rox. I know this is hard…but you have to remember that we're starting over this fall, anyway. I know this sucks, but honestly…fuck Axel. You're my best friend. We're gonna get through this."

Tears threatened to fall, but Roxas bit his lip and nodded. Hayner pulled him along to the front door, where they continued to gather their things. Before they were out the door, Pence turned the lights off one last time.

"It's been real, Sand Dollar. Maybe we'll see you again some day," Pence said, closing the door behind him.

A few minutes later, they were all packed up and sitting in the car. Hayner had volunteered to drive, and Roxas was in the passenger seat next to him.

"Alright…we all good?" Hayner asked

"Let's roll."

"Adios, beautiful, beautiful beach town."

Hayner turned to look at Roxas, who was looking out the window. He gave the smallest of nods.

"Alright. Here we go."

Rain continued to slam against the pavement as Axel raced toward the Sand Dollar Condos.

He knew he'd been an ass. He thought this was the best way to leave things—he couldn't bear to hurt Roxas's feelings. He just couldn't see him like that.

The truth was that Axel was scared.

They'd moved so quickly. Axel had dated around and slept with some people, but there was something strikingly different about Roxas. He spent a lot of time after they'd slept together thinking that what he was feeling was regret about moving too fast with someone who he wouldn't even see regularly after the summer. It was just a summer fling. He knew Roxas would get over it.

But he'd realized something entirely different about 5 minutes before he ran out of his house to find Roxas.

He started to panic when he saw the building in the distance but couldn't see Pence's Jeep parked anywhere on the street. As soon as he got there, he took the stairs two at a time until he reached the 8th floor, where he knocked furiously on the door to the condo he'd been to so many times that summer. _Please open, please open, please open…_

"No one's there."

Axel turned at the voice. It was the woman who must have lived next door; he'd seen her a few times.

"Those kids that were there? They let me know they were leaving for the summer. Pulled out about 20 minutes ago."

"Oh…thanks."

Numb, Axel made his way back down the stairs. He stopped outside the lobby. Despite the still-pouring rain, he sat on the front steps of the building, holding his head in his hands.

A few minutes later, Demyx came up to him with an umbrella. He sat next to his soaked friend and held the umbrella over him with one hand while putting his arm around him with the other. Axel leaned into him, shoulders shaking.

"I fucked up, Dem. I fucked up."

Demyx was quiet; he'd had a feeling he knew what the redhead was talking about.

"I didn't even write down his fucking number. What a time to not have a cell phone." He'd stopped crying at that point. He ran his fingers through his wet hair. Biting his lip, he looked at Demyx.

"I love him, Dem."

Demyx held him closer, letting Axel rest against him. After a few moments, he prompted the redhead to get up. Together, they left, trudging back to Axel's house in the rain.


	8. Chapter 8: Butterfly

**A/N: So this is gonna be really stereotypical Lala, even though many of you don't know who I am. I thought it would be only appropriate to mash together two of my favorite things—Digimon and Kingdom Hearts. The lyrics I used are English translation of the Japanese; the really boppin' version is the Digimon Tri recording of this song. Go take a listen!**

**Please remember to review! (:**

Butterfly—from Digimon Adventure

_Even with these awkward wings…I'm sure we can fly on my love_

Spring had finally hit, and if there were two 2nd- and 3rd-grade boys more excited about it than Axel and Roxas, it would have been impossible.

As soon as he'd woken up to his mother telling him it was a nice day, Roxas insisted that he go across the street to Axel's house. He had the bigger back yard, after all, with less concrete to fall on and more grass to lie in. A phone call later, he was running, arms wide, into the gate that led to Axel's back yard.

Axel was crouched over some plants when he heard the ruckus that was Roxas. He looked behind him and, seeing his best friend, he stood up and opened his arms wide. Roxas jumped into them, giving him a hug, then jumped back down for the rest of their secret handshake: bumping opposite elbows three times, slapping hands up and down four times, and shoulder bumping twice.

"Axel! It's so warm today! I can't believe the winter ended!"

"I know, it felt like it would be cold _forever_. Look, my mom just planted these flowers today."

Roxas peered down where Axel was pointing to see a spread of daffodils. He leaned over, careful not to fall, to smell them.

"They smell really good! I'll make sure not to stomp them by accident."

"You better, or she'll be mad!"

Axel gave the younger boy a playful shove, and the two were off running.

Some time later, the two had tired themselves out and were lying in the grass beside the bed of flowers.

"That one kinda looks like a dragon." Axel pointed to a fluffy cloud in the distance. Roxas squinted, looking for a cloud of his own.

"Oh! That one is like a puppy! And that one is a penguin!"

"Hey, only one at a time!"

"Sorry. Hey, butterfly!"

"What did I just tell you?"

"No, Axel, real butterflies!"

Roxas was now pointing at the flowerbed, where three butterflies were hovering over the newly planted assortment. The boys got up carefully so as not to spook them. Roxas's mouth was wide, looking in awe at the creatures. Axel seemed a little less enthused.

"They're pretty, but a little creepy."

"No way! They're beautiful. I love them." Roxas slowly put out a finger toward the butterflies. Axel wanted to stop him, but before they knew it, one landed on Roxas's finger. He brought it closer to examine it, admiring the blue wings and black designs.

"It's tickling my finger with its feet!"

"Blech, too crawly!" Axel yelled, keeping his distance. After a few more moments, the butterfly went back to skirting around the plants.

Roxas threw himself back on the ground, grinning as he looked up into the sky.

"When I grow up, I'm going to be a butterfly."

Axel scoffed. "Roxas, you can't be a bug when you grow up. You have to be a person."

Roxas was undeterred. "No way! I'm going to be the first person to be a butterfly."

Axel decided to play along for now. "Alright, but not me. I don't want to be creepy and crawly." The older boy had his eyes closed, so he startled when Roxas booped his nose.

"Don't worry, Axel. When I'm a butterfly, I'll carry you on my back. I'll take you wherever you wanna go. And you don't ever have to touch any crawly parts." He held out his hand to his best friend. "Deal?"

Axel grinned and shook him on it. "Deal."

Axel and Roxas would remember this moment many years later. They'd remember the spring day when anything seemed possible—even being a butterfly.

And when they decided to commit to each other for the rest of their lives, they'd used butterflies in their vows and theming.


	9. Chapter 9: Demolition Lovers

**A/N: Hello! Another update for y'all. I picked this one for two reasons: criminal!akuroku is kinda hot, and my old FFN username was Demolition Lovers, so it's a tribute to that.**

**And to respond to my first reviewer: Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy this one; I dedicate it to you (:**

**Read and review, pretty please!**

Demolition Lovers—My Chemical Romance

_I'd end my days with you in a hail of bullets_

"How much so far?"

Axel had been antsy, but Roxas merely waved him off, continuing to count the cash he was picking up out of a duffle bag. The redhead sighed in frustration and sat back. He desperately wanted to open the window and smoke a cigarette, but he knew any indication that anyone was in the car could put them in the middle of trouble.

He settled on looking out over the lake in front of them. On the far north side of the lake, there had been an old clearing for people who wanted to fish without beachgoers. That had been decades before, and the small fishing hole was closed to the public. The path to the clearing, however, was still big enough and clear enough to fit a single small car. The clearing itself was perfectly hidden. They'd come here from time to time to count their haul.

Roxas placed the last of the cash into a small stack inside a shoebox.

"$511."

"Tch. That's it?"

"You can't expect more when we're robbing tiny liquor stores and mom-and-pop shops." Roxas placed the box on the floor of the car behind Axel's seat. He leaned back into the driver's seat and looked over at his partner.

"Where are we off to now?"

Axel shrugged. He hardly knew what to do next at this point. People were going to catch on to them soon. They had already been through most of the stores they had noted as 'hit stores.' Their only option was to expand their radius and start somewhere fresh.

For the third time. Not that Axel minded.

Somewhere along the way, their need to get money and leave was coupled by the intensity of the robberies. It had become somewhat addicting to both of them. The adrenaline that came with each heist was a rush. Most times, when they were finally done for the night and found themselves alone, they'd make love, still high on their crimes.

He looked back over the center console at his lover and grinned.

"Maybe we don't have to go anywhere tonight." He grabbed onto Roxas's wrist and gave him a suggestive look. Rolling his eyes, Roxas smiled and climbed over the center to straddle Axel's lap. He kissed the redhead hard, still drunk on adrenaline. Axel responded in kind, letting his hands slide up and down Roxas's sides.

When they pulled apart, Axel found that Roxas had grown serious.

"What's with the face?"

Roxas was quiet for a few moments. Axel ran his fingers up and down the blonde's sides in a soothing motion.

"I think," he started, searching for the right words. "I would never in a thousand years trade this life we carved out for anything else. Not even stability and a shiny little house with a white picket fence."

Axel flashed his trademark smirk. Despite their hardened lifestyle, he would always have a soft spot for Roxas.

"I would gladly go out in some big gun fight or something, as long as it was with you," Roxas affirmed.

Axel lifted his face closer to the blonde's, bringing their noses together.

"You done being sappy now?"

Roxas swatted his arm. They both laughed before pulling each other close into another bruising kiss.


	10. Chapter 10: Need You Now

**A/N: So I am so, so sorry! I know I'm seriously slacking with the whole 'one a day' thing, so I gave that concept up. **

**Because it's Akuroku day! Happiest day for one of the cutest couples to grace this earth. **

**This one is kinda sad, ngl, but I hope you like it anyway (: Please read and review!**

Need You Now—Lady Antebellum

_And I wonder if I ever cross your mind. For me, it happens all the time._

Roxas had a playlist entitled "Sad Boy Hours," not because he was generally a sad person, but because he thought that putting himself in a melancholic mood helped his creativity when he needed to write.

He hadn't anticipated ever needing it because he was actually genuinely depressed.

He was on his third shuffle of the playlist—a feat, considering it was over 75 songs long. Perched in the middle of his living room floor, he had surrounded himself with various photos of him and Axel from through the years: a shot of them when they were still only best friends in high school; their senior prom portrait; the day they moved into their first apartment; their college graduation; and everything in between and more.

Roxas found that while he was more miserable than he could bear, going through the photos and drowning his sorrows in old emo hits didn't make things worse. In some way, it was soothing. He started to believe that maybe this is exactly what he needed to get over Axel.

_Getting over Axel. _Perhaps it wasn't that easy.

He planned on organizing them into piles based on date, but as time went by, he found that he was placing them into haphazard categories: Happy Days, Bad Days, Celebrations, That Time We Dog-sat, Couch Photos, Tuesdays.

He'd found a comfortable rhythm when he came across one photo that broke him.

It was from a few years ago, after they'd come home from a cruise vacation. They buried themselves on their couch, Roxas on top of Axel. Despite how pale they both usually were, they were both sun-kissed. Roxas had taken the photo from above and had a goofy grin on his face; he'd still been on the high from the vacation.

And Axel was behind him, not looking at the camera, but looking at Roxas with nothing but love in his eyes. His signature smirk was replaced by a genuine smile. Roxas loved this photo and had it printed as soon as he could. He thought he'd lost it, but here it was, scattered around all their other boxed-away memories.

He took it and placed it up on their—_his_—coffee table to save for later while a stone settled deep in the pit of his stomach.

It had been two months. Axel thought this would have been sufficient time to get over everything he'd had with Roxas. He hadn't found his own place yet, but Demyx was more than happy to have him while he looked. He threw himself into work. He started going out to bars with Demyx and Zexion.

He was miserable as fuck.

Demyx and Zexion had gone out on a date night, leaving Axel home alone to wash his problems away with alcohol. He'd already downed seven beers and three shots. He thought the drinks might make him feel productive and do something like clean the kitchen or masturbate, but he just felt depressed, so he curled up on the couch and scrolled thoughtlessly through his phone.

He'd already been through the feeds on all of his social media and exhausted all his lives on all his mobile games, so his inebriated mind decided it would be a great idea to go through his photos.

The only problem was that Axel hadn't deleted any pictures from his many years with Roxas. They were all carefully stowed away in a folder he called "DON'T LOOK AT THESE." Even then, there were still pictures of Roxas throughout his phone.

Favoring stupidity over logic, he opened up the DON'T LOOK AT THESE folder. He immediately felt nauseated, though he couldn't stop scrolling, like someone who couldn't take their eyes off a car crash. Roxas had hated when Axel took shots of him when he wasn't paying attention, but those were always his favorite. He'd had countless photos of Roxas studying, reading, watching TV, sleeping, eating, taking a shower—honestly, Axel loved everything about Roxas so much that anything he did was worthy of a picture.

_So why the fuck are we broken up right now?_

His eyes stopped on a picture of them that he remembered well. It was just after they'd returned from vacation, and Roxas was hyper as hell. He'd taken a selfie of them, and it captured a purely goofy look on Roxas's face.

Axel remembered that even in the darkest moments of his life, that smile was the reason he'd pushed on. Roxas was his reason for doing anything and everything.

He threw his phone across the living room and put his head back. He became immediately dizzy and covered his eyes with his hands. His buzz was wearing off and was now only a whisper. His heavy heartache—not to mention a headache—had returned.

He'd decided that maybe he should just take some Ambien and call it a night. As soon as he'd made it up off the couch, there was a knock at the door.

"Who the fuck is out at this time of night in the pouring rain…" he muttered, crossing to answer the door.

He almost fainted when he opened it.

There was Roxas, dripping wet, standing on the landing. His eyes were rimmed red, and he was shivering from the cold. Though he had prepared exactly what he wanted to say, seeing Axel took all his bravery away. The redhead looked miserable and thin.

They stood there, staring, for what seemed like endless moments. Axel found his voice first.

"You look like shit," he choked out, finding himself holding back a sob he didn't know he'd had. He couldn't mask this feeling with humor—at least not this time.

Indignant, Roxas shot Axel a look. They were both hit by the realization that things hadn't changed at all, and within seconds Roxas had jumped into Axel's open arms.

They held on to each other as if one would disappear if the other let go. Axel didn't give a shit about how wet Roxas was. He clutched his soaked clothes, burying his head in the blonde's hair, taking in the scent that he had been so used to for 8 years. A few silent tears trailed his cheeks.

Roxas pulled back first, looking up at Axel with his own tear-soaked eyes.

"Axel," he started, trying to steady the waver in his voice. "You're a pain in the ass. You're stubborn, obnoxious, and a little self-absorbed.

"But what's more important to me is that you're selfless, you're kind, you go above and beyond, you're passionate about everything, you have a heart of gold, even if you don't want anyone to see it. We have our problems, Axel, but I don't want to throw us out the window anymore because of them. I can't let us go. And I just—I hope you feel the same way." Roxas had clutched onto the front of Axel's shirt for the length of his speech, tightening his grip with each passing sentence.

Though they'd screamed at each other the nights leading up to their breakup, throwing accusations and insults back and forth, Axel knew it was his own hubris that led to their situation. He started to speak, but Roxas stopped him.

"We have a lot of work to do, Axel. I know it's not going to be sunshine and flowers forever, the way it was when we were kids. You and I both have things to work on. But I don't want to do anything if it isn't with you." Axel had brought Roxas back into his arms before he finished his last sentence, holding him tight.

He had his second chance, and he wasn't going to waste it.

Axel pulled back and placed both of his hands on Roxas's cheeks, looking directly into his pools of blue.

"Roxas, babe, I promise we're going to work this out. I'm going to do anything it takes. I'm so sorry I screwed it up."

Roxas nodded his head then moved his hands from around Axel's torso to around his neck, closing the distance between them. They pressed their lips together hard, taking in every moment, every touch, every familiar sensation they'd been missing. Both had been smiling against each other, and when they parted they each laughed, holding each other close and pressing their foreheads together.

They'd laughed and cried that night. They argued. They made up. They collapsed in each other's arms in Axel's bed. When they woke up in the morning to the realization that things were right, they laid quietly in each other's arms, making silent promises to love fearlessly.


	11. Chapter 11: The Jetset Life

**A/N: Hello! I'm still here! I have some more stories that I didn't get to during the first part of the month, but we might as well make it Akuroku month, right? **

**I'm also seriously considering stretching Endless Bummer into a full fic. That one has really stayed with me since I wrote it, and it would be nice to have a full story on the backburner, even though I already have one planned. Any thoughts about that? **

**Enjoy! Let me know what you might want to see in a review! (:**

The Jetset Life is Gonna Kill You—My Chemical Romance

_And for the last night I lie, could I lie next to you?_

"Thank you so, so much, San Francisco. You guys are fuckin' awesome. We're The Twilight Wolves. Have an awesome rest of your night!"

Cheers and applause erupted in the mid-size arena, and Axel took a deep bow and threw the finger at the crowd before running off stage. As soon as he knew he was out of sight—or, honestly, maybe before that, since he barely cared anymore—he rolled his eyes and let a scowl rest on his face. He'd usually fist bump the rest of the band, congratulating them on another great night. Tonight, he headed straight for his dressing room.

He slammed the door shut and made sure it was locked before throwing himself on the couch. He hadn't bothered to turn on any lights. He could hear the buzz of everyone backstage and the muffled sounds of the audience thrumming as they got ready for the main act.

He had tears streaming down his face, and he started to laugh.

"Christ. When did this become my personal fucking nightmare?" He said out loud. The room answered with silence.

It had been Axel's dream to be a musician. He played every instrument imaginable growing up, though he always had a fondness for the bass guitar. When he was a junior in high school, he'd formed a casual band with his best friends. Demyx was on guitar, Larxene played rhythm guitar, and Zexion was on drums, while Axel sang and played bass.

They never considered being anything other than another high school rock band. Axel was hyper-focused on music, but he had logically settled on mastering as much as he could so he could go to college to study music. They all just wanted to have some fun.

No one could have guessed that one performance at a local bar would change their entire lives.

Their current manager, Xigbar, had been at that bar that night and became obsessed with their sound. He'd been able to get them signed faster than any of them could keep up, and before they knew it, The Twilight Wolves had gained a minor amount of fame.

Now, here they were, given the incredible opportunity to open for an actually famous alt rock band on their massive US tour. It'd been 2 months, with just about 2 and a half more to go.

Axel wanted to die.

He thought it was a bitter fate, to have the world that he so desperately craved thrown back at him. He'd loved what they were doing at the beginning. Creating their album was everything he could have wished for. Touring was a different beast altogether, and though Axel was, by definition, a social butterfly, being on tour killed his spirit.

Drinking after shows had been the norm for a few weeks, but Axel was now drinking heavily and self-medicating before—and most nights, after—every show. It was starting to show in the bags under his eyes, the sallow look in his skin, and how scary thin he had become. He would have welcomed passing out on the stage only to never wake up again.

He almost wished it would happen.

The only thing keeping him from ending it all was the thought of Roxas. They'd met and became an item in high school, and though Axel lost most of his friends except for the band after they signed, Roxas had stayed by his side through it all. Axel knew it couldn't have been easy on him. They were 19 and 20 now, and while Axel this was their first tour, he knew he was pouring stress on his boyfriend.

He hadn't seen the blonde since he left for tour, and he missed him desperately. He hadn't divulged his dark thoughts to Roxas yet; he didn't want him to worry while he was working on his college degree. Axel just wanted to be done; he'd be okay after they were done.

_I'll be okay after we're done._

He wiped his eyes and got up, heading over to the mirror to flip on the switch and take a look at himself.

"You look like death, Ax. At least the fangirls think this look is sexy. I guess I got that going for me," he muttered to himself, wiping his forehead with a washcloth. He looked down at his kit, wondering if he'd do another line. He decided against it and threw the kit along with the rest of his meager belongings into his bag. He grabbed it and headed out the door, throwing the bag to the first assistant he saw.

Spotting Xigbar and the rest of the band in the common area, he shouted. "Hey, asswipes, I'm leaving for the night. I'll see you later." He was out of sight before anyone had the chance to argue.

He'd slipped out a side door, but not before grabbing a beer. Trying to remember the way they'd come in, he meandered through the hallways before finding the door to the back of the arena. Among milling tech people and roadies, he found a quiet place outside to sit, smoke, and drink.

It couldn't have been two minutes before he felt someone standing behind him. His patience was thin tonight.

"Look, I'm not giving autographs, I'm not stopping for chit-chat, and I won't sign your breasts. I just wanna have my smoke and my drink. Fuck off."

"Wow. That's a lot to unpack, Ax."

Axel, not believing his ears, turned his head too quickly to see the body behind the voice. He'd unfortunately forgotten that he was sitting on the edge of a short balcony with a railing. Slamming his head, he fell backward.

"Shit! Are you okay?" The person kneeled next to him, waiting for Axel to open his eyes again.

When he did, he was met with the gift of Roxas standing over him.

Taking a little more care, he sat up again and grabbed the sides of the blonde's head. Roxas still looked concerned, but was smirking nonetheless, pleased with himself for being able to pull off the surprise.

However, he quickly noted the gaunt look to Axel's face. Axel buried himself in Roxas before he could say anything.

"Fuck, Rox, how are you—When did you get here? How? Where?" Axel kept his head in the nook of Roxas's shoulder, unwilling to let go. He'd underestimated how miserable he was until he'd breathed in the scent of his favorite person.

Roxas held him, resting his cheek on Axel's head. "I wanted to surprise you. I know you always tell me that you want me worrying about school and not about you, but I couldn't help myself." He pulled back, placing his hands on each side of Axel's face. Axel's eyes gave away his joy and relief. Roxas pulled him close and they shared their first kiss in months. It was slow and deliberate and a little needy. Roxas took another note on how much more angular Axel was.

"How long are you…?"

"I took the week off work, and I'm taking the week off classes. I already worked things out with Xigbar. I rented a car. I'll follow you guys around…well, we'll follow the rest of the band around. I was assuming you'd ride with me."

Axel let out a laugh, but tears sprung to his eyes again. He threw himself back into Roxas's arms, letting himself ugly cry into his shirt. Taken aback, Roxas wrapped his arms around the taller man, rubbing his back.

"Ax…are you okay?"

Axel was shaking now, letting everything that had been building up inside out in one fell swoop. He hadn't intended to let everything out this way, but seeing Roxas again made everything come right to the surface. His deepest fears and anxieties had been screaming for release, and while he was always conscious about keeping his stress away from Roxas, he couldn't keep it in now that he was here. Axel shook his head from his position buried in Roxas's shoulder.

"It's okay, Axel, I'm here…Come on, can you take me somewhere private?"

Axel muttered an affirmation, and they both wandered back into the building.

They found themselves back in Axel's dressing room, the door locked once again to keep any prying eyes out. Axel spent the better part of an hour releasing every ounce of emotion in him to Roxas. His head was on Roxas's lap, eyes closed, taking calculated breaths while Roxas ran his fingers through his hair.

He once thought that admitting his weaknesses and problems to Roxas would be hard. It turned out that all he needed was his partner's presence to ask for help. He threw his fears that Roxas would be irreparably disappointed in him out the window.

"Axel…you awake?"

"Mhm."

"Listen…I'm sorry that you're dealing with all of this. I just can't believe you didn't let me know anything for two whole months. I…I could have lost you, Ax."

Axel opened his eyes and looked up into Roxas's. Concern was etched on his face.

"I need you to know that I don't think you're weak or a failure, and that you're not alone. I know you want me to succeed, but not at your expense, Ax. I'm sorry that this isn't a dream come true, but you still have your whole life ahead of you. What matters is that I'm here now and I can help you. Whatever it takes, Axel, we'll get you help. We'll make this better."

Axel nodded, fighting tears again. He didn't have much to say, but his heart swelled for this man who would drop everything to help save him. He sat up and opened his arms, inviting Roxas to come to him for a hug. When they embraced, he held onto the blonde tight and long.

"You're okay, Axel. We're gonna figure this out together."


End file.
